PICTURED: Conman Terry Collins captured on CCTV in hard hat trying to dupe pensioner
This is the man captured on CCTV as he tried to dupe a pensioner out of hundreds of pounds for roofing work.
Tech-savvy pensioner Brian Jordan had a camera installed at his Halesowen home when conman Terry Collins called.
Collins wore a hard hat and carried a building DIY brochure to give himself an air of authenticity during the deception.
The 22-year-old, who called himself Bill Smith, asked about roofing work that the pensioner had just had done, telling him the workmen had not been VAT-registered and that he owed £480 in unpaid tax.
He targeted Mr Jordan's home on November 8 last year.
However, the pensioner refused to part with the money despite Collins saying 'ok, I’ll settle for £280'.
A CCTV image – taken from a camera near the intended victim’s front door – was released by West Midlands Police investigators.
It resulted in several members of the public naming Collins as the offender.
Collins was arrested from his home in New Street, Tipton, on December 14.
He refused to answer interview questions but last Thursday was jailed for a year having admitted fraud.
Detective Constable Sean Lowe, said: “Collins was aware work had been carried out on the property and used that knowledge in a bid to extract money from him.
"He didn’t carry out the work; we suspect he had been driving around the area looking for properties being worked on that he could later approach.
“However, the homeowner immediately realised the VAT claim was extortionate and refused to hand over any cash.
"Collins made off empty-handed but it’s clear he’d tried to defraud the pensioner out of a considerable sum of money.
“Thanks to the CCTV we were provided with a really clear image of the offender – at one stage Collins looked straight at the camera – and it left him with little option but to admit the offence.
“These types of deceits against elderly people can have a devastating effect on victims: they can lose hundreds or thousands of pounds simply as a result of trusting what they are being told by cruel con artists.
It can leave them feeling scared and the psychological impact of being tricked can be long lasting.
“I’m pleased Collins has been jailed; it sends out a strong message that offenders who target vulnerable members of society can expect to end up behind bars.”
